Reversible ditching plow



Aug. 25, 1953 L. A. DRAVES 2,649,793

REVERSIBLE DITCHING PLOW Filed Aug. 15', 1949 ZSheets-Sheet l HIM Lab/- Braves INVENTOR- Patented Aug. 25,1953

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,649,793 REVERSIBLE DITCHING PLOW Lehi A. Draves, Nucla, 0010. Application August 15, 1949, Serial No. 110,330

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in ditch digging machines or plows and more particularly to a reversible ditch digging machine whereby dirt may be thrown toward either side of a ditch.

An important object of the invention is to provide a pair of ditch digging blades or plows swingable outwardly at each side of the beam of the machine and providing a supporting wheel for the blade which is also swingable into a position at either side of the beam for working at either side of a ditch.

A still further object of the invention is to provide vertical adjusting means for the wheel to raise or lower the blade andalso to provide a vertically adjustable plow at the front end of the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings formin part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the beam taken on a line 6-6 of Fi ure 1;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the V-shaped or double blade of the ditching machine, and

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates an inverted channel-shaped beam having a vertical kingpin 6 at its front end and to which the converging front end of a double or V-shaped scraper blade 1 is pivoted for horizontal swinging movement by means of upper and lower plates 8 and 9 suitably secured between the pair of scraper blades 1 for mounting on the kingpin 6. The plates 8 and 9 are held in position on the kingpin by a nut I0 threaded on the lower end of the pin.

The front ends of the blade 1 are provided with a V-shaped removable point or plow ll secured in position by a bolt and nut l2 at the upper portion of the point I l and with the lower edges of the point inclined outwardly from the blade I. The lower edge of the plow point H is formed with a forwardly curved scraper edge l3 and the lower scraping edge M of blades 1 are likewise curved outwardly.

A forwardly extending tongue or hitch I5 is secured on top of the upper plate 8 and on top of the front end of beam 5 by the kingpin 6 and a quadrant I6 is suitably secured to the rear portion of tongue or hitch I5 in an upstanding position.

The quadrant I6 is provided with a transverse pin [1 at its central portion on which the lower end of a lever I8 is pivoted and is provided with a locking dog l9 engaging the teeth 20 of the quadrant to hold the lever in an adjusted forwardly or rearwardly swingable position.

An arm 2| extends in a rearwardly inclined position from lever l8 to which the upper end of a lift rod 22 is pivotally attached. The lift rod extends downwardly through the beam 5 and is attached to the rear portion of a shoe 23 which is pivoted at its front end on the lower portion of kingpin 6 for vertical adjusting movement of the shoe. A substantially U-shaped wheel supporting frame 24 is positioned in a transverse horizontal position with its ends pivoted on the front and rear bolts and nuts 25 and 26 carried by spaced apart upstanding ears 2! suitably secured on top of beam 5.. The frame 24 is swingable vertically from side to side of beam 5 and is secured in an outwardly projecting horizontal position at either side of frame 5 by means of a bolt and nut 28 carried by a pair of upstanding spaced apart apertured ears 29 rising from a bar or platform 30 rigidly connecting the rear portions of blades 1 to each other and resting on top of beam 5.

A brace 3| is suitably secured at its ends to the front and rear portions of frame 24 and extends parallel with respect to beam 5 and on which is supported the inner end of a pin 32 with the outer end of the pin supported at the outer edge of the frame 24.

A lever 33 is pivoted on pin 32 in a forwardly inclined direction with a sleeve of socket 34 formed at its rear end in which one end of an 3 L-shaped axle 36 is secured by a bolt or set screw 35. A wheel 31 is journaled on the other end of the aXle.

A semi-circular toothed plate 38 is suitably secured to frame 24 with which a locking dog 39 carried by lever 33 is engaged to hold the wheel 31 in a vertically adjusted position to thus raise or lower the adjacent side of the machine with the rear end of the adjacent blade 1 in an upwardly inclined position.

The sides of beam 5 are reinforced by an internal longitudinal spacing web 40 which overlies the front pivoted end of shoe 23 to hold the shoe from riding upwardly on pin 9.

In the operation of the device, the V-shaped blade I swings outwardly at either side of beam 5 on pin 6 and is locked in its right or left position by frame 24 secured on top of the cross member 30 for the blade by bolt and nut 28.

The entire front end of beam 5 and blade 7 is raised or lowered by the vertical adjustment of shoe 23 and the outwardly projecting side of blade i is supported by wheel 3?.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit or the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A ditch digging machine comprising a beam, a V-shaped scraper blade, a vertical pivot pin at the front end of said beam, said blade being pivoted at its apex to the front end of said beam and on said pivot pin for swinging either side of said blade outwardly from said beam, a cross member rigidly connecting said sides of said blade to each other, a wheel mounting pivotally carried by said beam for movement outwardly at either side thereof about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of said beam, a wheel supported by said wheel mounting, means anchoring said wheel mounting to said cross member at either side 'of said beam, and means for vertically adjusting said wheel to raise or lower the adjacent side of the blade.

2. The combination of claim 1 and said cross member being located on the upper surface of said beam to help support said blade.

' LEHI A. BRAVES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Norway Feb, 6, 1933 Number Number 

